They call it the second season, when the regular season records are erased and teams get the win-or-go-home mentality.
Two higher seeds in the boys 11-12-year-old senior league tournament felt the sting of being upset in the opening round, as the No. 3 seed Dream Builder A’s fell to the La Cazona Braves 11-7 and the Custom Collision Yankees eliminated the No. 4 seed Gary Steele Karate Phillies with a 11-2 whipping.
The only higher seed to advance on the first night of the single-elimination tournament was the No. 2 seed Pioneer Pediatric Cardinals, who defeated the Turner Auto Salvage Cubs 11-4.
With teams in the survive-and-advance mode on Monday night, 11 was apparently the run total needed to win. The Yankees opened the night by storming out to a seven-run lead before coasting to a 11-2 victory.
The Yankees racked up 10 hits and seven runs over the first three innings, led by Noah Campbell. Campbell had hits in all three innings, as he scored the first run of the game and drove in three runs. Campbell would go on to finish a perfect 4-for-4 with four RBIs.
Trey Cantrell earned the victory by pitching the first three innings and allowing no runs while striking out four. Cantrell also finished the game with three hits and three RBIs.
Logan Martin and Ben Sweeton also had three hits for the Yankees, who advanced to a showdown with the No. 1 seed Hall’s Backhoe Dodgers. Chandler Rockwell, Mica Woodlee and Noah Bost had one hit each.
Jesse Jones, Tyler Steele, Eli Eldridge, Mitchell Woodlee and Blane Wilson each had hits for the Phillies, who had entered the tournament on a roll. Steele took the loss on the mound, pitching three innings before being relieved by Chance Hobbs.
In the second game, the Braves won the rubber match against the A’s to remain alive in the tournament. The two teams had split the regular-season series, but a five-run fourth inning helped propel the Braves to a 11-7 win in the first round.
After taking a 5-0 lead, only to see the A’s trim it to one with four runs in the third, the Braves put the game away in the fourth inning.
Austin Higgins led off the inning with a walk, which was followed by RBI doubles from Noah Fann and Tyler Pomales. Pomales would score on a single by Robby Selig, giving the team a 8-4 cushion. The lead would swell to six after Selig and Jacob Linder each stole three bases apiece to score.
After the Braves moved the lead to 11-4 in the top of the fifth, the A’s made one last run. Singles by Trayton Rackley, Keaton Welch, Ethan Mikkola and Colton Smith led to three runs, but the A’s fell four runs short of moving the game into extra innings.
Noah Fann earned the victory for the A’s, pitching all five innings. Fann and Pomales led the Braves with two hits each. Selig, Linder and Devin Terry had one hit apiece.
Tyler Hollingsworth, Welch, Mikkola, and Blake Driver had two hits apiece for the A’s. Rackley and Smith chipped in one hit each. Mikkola took the loss, pitching three innings before giving way to Welch and Hollingsworth in the final three innings.
Six straight hits, which led to six runs in the fifth inning, powered the Cardinals to a 11-4 victory over the Cubs in the night cap Monday night.
The Cardinals entered the bottom of the fifth with a slim 5-4 advantage, but Tyler Prater, J.D. Keele, Ridge Brewer, Krojn Colbert, Anthony Palmer and Thomas Judkins put up six straight hits to give the Cardinals a seven-run cushion. By the time Zach Murray stepped to the plate with one out, time expired and the Cardinals advanced to the semifinals.
Colbert had two hits to lead the Cardinals, including a two-run home run in the first inning. Philip Brock added two hits in the win. Keele picked up the victory, pitching four innings before being relieved by Prater.
Austin Miller, Gavin Harper, Caleb Johnson, Dylan Madison, Taven Newport and Logan Greer each had hits in the loss for the Cubs.